Logan Mankins likely to miss the start of the season?

ProFootballTalk

ESPN.com reported this morning that Mankins appears headed for the Physically Unable to Perform list, and he’s expected to sit out at least the first six weeks of the regular season. That report suggests that veteran offensive lineman Robert Gallery was signed as a stopgap measure at the start of the season while Mankins is out.

The Boston Herald, however, reports that Mankins is starting to look good, and suggests that his health is not a concern.

So which report is right? The Patriots are as tight-lipped about injuries as any NFL team, so we’re not going to hear much more than what we’ve already heard. It would be rare for a player who needed ACL surgery in February to be on the field in Week One, but probably no more rare than a player continuing to play without realizing he had a torn ACL.

This would seem like a bigger deal if he didn't miss so much time two years ago and we saw evidence that the Patriots went along fine without him.

Don't get me wrong, Mankins brings a ton to this team. However, the Patriots build their team with depth in mind. There are some capable players waiting in line that can fill in for Mankins if he were to miss six weeks of the regular season.

Of course, this also makes Brian Waters return to the line all that more important.